Never Forgotten
by BlueDragonus
Summary: Flamedramon (not the one from 02) runs away from his home and his past after a heart-breaking experience, only to meet up with his old friend... Will new feelings blossom?
1. The Meeting

Never Forgotten

Chapter 1: The Meeting

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Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon, Toei Animation, Fox Kids, and Saban or Bandai owns them. I use their characters in my stories for readers' enjoyment.

**This story is a Renamon/Flamedramon pairing. The events take place before Renamon decides to go to Earth to be Ruki's digimon and after the events of the D-Reaper in the later chapters.**

**And this is my first Digimon fanfic, so don't flame me if I make any mistakes. Reviews will be much appreciated.**

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A single Flamedramon awoke, yawning widely, revealing shining, white fangs. He stretched luxuriously before hopping off the ground and onto his feet, a smile on his face. Today was the day; the day he was going to confess his love to the digimon he had a crush on, Gatomon. Rubbing his armor to keep it shiny and smooth, he stepped out of his cave and into the bright sunlight. The digital world was in peaceful times, and the digimon were happy, the digital world split into many various territories claimed by the various digimon. This particular Flamedramon and his friends had claimed one sector of the mountainous area as their own territory, living in it rather happily.

"Hey Flamedramon! Nice weather, isn't it?" A passing Gabumon asked, a smile on its face. Flamedramon nodded, and bounded off the edge of the mountain cliff he was living on and to the ground below. There was a tiny clearing where the various digimon living in the territory often sat together to talk and discuss various matters. Surrounding it for miles and miles beyond was a huge forest, and that was Flamedramon's destination. Gatomon's home was in the forest, and it seemed like the perfect spot to admit his love.

~~~~~

Humming to himself, Flamedramon stopped for a moment below a large tree to pick some flowers, something he had learned from the other digimon that females liked. He chose the brightest ones, and was just about to pick them when he heard Gatomon's voice come from right behind the tree. Flamedramon froze, and listened carefully, wondering what Gatomon was going to say.

"Oh, Patamon…" Gatomon breathed, hugging the digimon standing in front her lovingly. "It's taken a long time, but I've always loved you…"

"Gatomon…" Patamon returned warmly. "I love you too." The two hugged each other and kissed passionately, filling the already shocked Flamedramon with intense jealousy. He watched as Patamon and Gatomon kissed, and felt his heart break. One was his best friend, and the other was the digimon he loved. Flamedramon felt betrayed. They broke their kiss and stepped back, still eyeing each other lovingly.

"What about Flamedramon? He likes you too, doesn't he?" Patamon ventured, a slightly concerned look on his face. Flamedramon smiled sadly. Patamon was still his best friend after all. "He'll be heart-broken…"

"Flamedramon? That egotistic guy?" Gatomon sniffed. "All he does is try to prove his skill to everyone who's unfortunate enough to be near him. I never really liked him since we first met, and I doubt I'm ever going to change my opinion." She said, much to Patamon's shock. Flamedramon did use to be somewhat of a show off, but he had changed a lot over the years! He was humble and kind now…

"He isn't like that…" Patamon muttered.

"Yes, he is! I wish he'd stop trying to show off!" Gatomon insisted. That was too much for Flamedramon to bear. His heart had already been ruthlessly shattered into pieces; his tears were flowing down his usually vibrant blue face. Turning around with a low cry of anguish, Flamedramon quickly ran away, away from Gatomon and Patamon. So that was how she felt. All this time, he had never expected that the digimon he loved would actually think of him that way. He slumped down against a stump some distance away, sobbing freely.

"I've been a fool. A disillusioned fool. She had never loved me at all…" Flamedramon whispered to himself brokenly, burying his face in his hands. "Why?" Was all he could say before he started crying again. He continued to remain that way for while, quietly crying to himself, crying until his eyes were bloodshot. And then there came a voice from behind him, and Flamedramon jumped.

"Flamedramon, are you okay?" Came the voice of an Agumon, who walked up to his friend. "You don't look so good." Flamedramon hurriedly wiped his hand across his face, and forced his tears to stop. He gave a single cough to clear his throat and stood up tall, thankful that his height could hide his face from the much smaller Agumon.

"I'm fine." He said in false cheerfulness. "What's up?" Agumon eyed him suspiciously for a moment before continuing on.

"We're under attack from a wild digimon. Get over there and help, the others are having a hard time!" Agumon informed Flamedramon, and turned around to head back to the clearing. "Come on!" Flamedramon nodded and bounded after his friend. When this was over, he was going to consult the others. Surely they had some advice…

~~~~~

"Yeah, we won!" Agumon cheered, pulling Gabumon into a victory hug, laughing. The others just stood around, laughing and smiling, giving each other friendly pats on their backs. They were all talking spiritedly. All except for Flamedramon, who was standing behind Stingmon, trying to talk to his next best friend.

"Stingmon…" He called softly, tapping the digimon on his shoulder.

"Not now, Flamedramon!" Stingmon replied, turning his attention back to the other digimon, talking happily. He didn't notice the look of anguish on Flamedramon's face. Flamedramon took a step backwards, his masked face twisted in pain as he felt his heart break a little more. Now his friends had chosen to ignore him as well. It seemed that everyone hated him, didn't want him around.

And if that was what they wanted, Flamedramon would gladly give it to them. Whipping around, Flamedramon fled into the trees, a single tear falling to the ground, marking where he once stood…

~~~~~

Flamedramon didn't know how long he had been running. It had definitely been a long time, and he briefly wondered why he wasn't collapsing from exhaustion yet. Flamedramon didn't really care. He liked it this way, to be able to keep running without ever stopping. Right now, he felt useless and insignificant as he ran madly, knocking aside the trees and plants that stood in his path. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. It wasn't long before his armor and body was badly scratched and bleeding, but Flamedramon couldn't feel the pain. All the pain was focused in his heart, nowhere else. He supposed he had been running for days now, he wasn't sure. He didn't want to think what the others' reactions were when they discovered they were missing. They were probably happy, happy that he was gone at last, gone from their lives. Flamedramon bit his lower lip, and added more speed into his dash.

Nobody cared. Not Gatomon, not his friends, not anyone. Flamedramon didn't want to be around them anymore. It seemed that all they could do whenever he thought of them was to break his already shattered heart further. The tears had already stopped, and all Flamedramon could think of was to run, nothing more. Run, run away from the life he once knew. And then, he stumbled over a tree root. Normally, Flamedramon would have recovered his balance easily, but this time he went sprawling to the ground, and he did not bother to get up. The tears were coming forth once again, and they began to stream down his dirtied face as he knelt there in the mud.

"What did I do wrong? Why does everyone ignore me? Why?" He sobbed, pounding the ground with his fist. The sky above him was darkening, casting an ominous shadow all around. Flamedramon didn't notice, didn't even notice it when the rain started to pour down upon him, washing away all the mud. Flamedramon just continued to kneel on the ground, his face shadowed, tears glistening on his face, his fists clenched tightly at his side. The rain poured relentlessly, the water running off his once proud and shining armor that bore the Crest of Courage.

"Courage?" Flamedramon asked himself softly, looking at his hands. "I am no Bearer of Courage…" He shook his head, his long blue ears drooping sadly as the tears continued. The battle at what he once considered home a few days ago was a perfect example. What Fire of Courage? Indeed, he had fought with the same strength and valor as always, but something was missing. Gone was his spirit, his bravery, leaving behind merely an empty shell of sadness and despair. The body was there, the fire was gone. As he continued to just kneel there in the mud, allowing the rain to wash over him, Flamedramon suddenly spoke the words he had never dreamed of saying.

"I'm never going back…" He whispered, staring at the ground, his fist clenched tightly around a handful of mud. "Never… They all hate me, I… don't want to feel that pain anymore…" His fists loosened, and went to his heart. There was an aching pain there, the pain of loss, the pain of rejection, the pain of betrayal. And then someone patted him, none too lightly, on his back, startling him.

"Who are you?" Came a feminine voice from behind him. Flamedramon turned around only to see a tall, elegant golden fox standing on her hind legs, with purple armguards engraved with the image of Taoism on them. Her eyes were a striking ice blue, and Flamedramon started. He had seen this Renamon somewhere before… Renamon didn't look very pleased, however.

"I asked you a question. Answer me!" She demanded. Her voice… the same voice.

"R-Renamon… Is that really you…?" He stuttered, his voice raspy. How long had it been since he had spoken louder than a whisper? Renamon gasped as she got a closer look at the figure kneeling on the ground in front of her.

"Flamedramon?" She asked softly, taking a step forward to have a good look at Flamedramon. "It's been a long time…" She got a good view of her old friend and was taken aback. Flamedramon had once been so proud of his armor, making sure that it never got damaged or dirtied, and here it was, covered in scratches and mud. "What happened to you?" Flamedramon got to his feet slowly, wincing softly as he felt the blood rush back into his powerful limbs.

"Renamon, it's good to see you again," He smiled weakly. "I d-don't really want to talk about what happened. I'm not welcome anywhere anyway. I'll leave you alone…" He said bitterly, turning around and walking away. He blinked rapidly, trying to stop the flow of his tears, but to no avail. Here was yet another one of his friends, one he hadn't seen in a long time. Yet, strangely, he didn't want to see her. It hurt too much. The term 'friends' hurt him. Solitude seemed like the ideal thing for him. Everyone hated him anyway. Flamedramon walked slowly with a slight limp, his foot hurt from tripping over the root. Even though the rain had washed away the blood and mud, the bruises and cuts were still evident on his body.

He's been through a lot, both physically and mentally, Renamon realized as she watched the blue figure stumble along unsteadily, his head bowed. His tail and ears were drooped, his hands hung limply by his side. I wonder what has happened to him? Renamon wondered, having never seen her friend in such a sad state before. It surprised her… and scared her. What did he mean he wasn't welcome anywhere? Renamon was confused, knowing that her friend had been traumatized by something. She had to help him, and she watched him carefully, following him slowly. Then Flamedramon stumbled again, and started to fall forward. He made no move to catch himself, seemingly welcoming the ground. Renamon dashed forward and grabbed Flamedramon by his arm, pulling him to his feet. Flamedramon made no move, except to sigh dispiritedly. He then pulled himself free, stumbled backwards and eyed Renamon strangely.

"What did you do that for?" He asked, his eyes narrowed. "You don't have to help me. Nobody has to. I don't belong anywhere." He said, his voice filled with intense anger and bitterness. Flamedramon was suddenly aware that he was extremely tired, weak and hungry. His legs were unsteady, and were barely able to support him. But still he stood, eyeing Renamon. She had changed quite a bit… she was projecting an aura of strength now… quite unlike him.

"What happened to you?" Renamon repeated her question, taking a step towards her once cheerful and vibrant friend. Flamedramon didn't answer at first, but tears welled up in his eyes. The haunted and pained look in his eyes was all Renamon really needed to understand how he felt.

"My friends… at least, they were once my friends… They don't care about me anymore, they ignore me, treat me as nothing, and even talk about me behind my back…" Flamedramon shut his eyes, squeezing the tears out. His legs gave way, and Flamedramon found himself sitting in the mud again. He struggled to his feet and wobbled on unsteadily before Renamon could really do anything to help.

"Where are you going?" Renamon called, taking a step forward, worried about her friend.

"Somewhere. Anywhere. As long as it's not home." He said harshly. "Somewhere where at least, I can rid myself of this pain…" He started on his way again, trudging through the mud and rain despite his incredible weariness. He didn't want to see anyone. Then he felt Renamon grab his arm. He stiffened in shock.

"You can stay here. You're not in any shape to travel…" Renamon said softly. Flamedramon shook his head.

"You don't have to…" He muttered. Renamon smiled.

"It's okay. Hey, that's what friends are for, right?" Her words had a startling impact on Flamedramon. He started sobbing again, his entire body shaking.

"That's what I thought before… And I was wrong…" It pained Renamon to see Flamedramon acting like that.

"I'm here. I'll be here to help you. You don't have to worry…" She said comfortingly, patting Flamedramon on his shoulder.

"Really?" Renamon saw Flamedramon's eyes shine with seemed like hope and happiness. It gave him a completely different look, changing him from a stranger back into the warm-hearted, happy person she knew. She nodded in response to Flamedramon. He gave a happy cry and hugged her, his eyes filled with eternal gratitude. Renamon was slightly taken aback with his actions. All she had done was offer him a place to rest, and a helping hand to get him through whatever was plaguing him… He sobbed into her shoulder, wracking sobs tearing through his tall body. Renamon patted him awkwardly, trying to sooth him. Finally, Flamedramon calmed down considerably.

"Thank you, Renamon…" Flamedramon managed to muster, his voice heavy with weariness. He could barely pull him away from Renamon. His legs were numb, as was the rest of his body. He struggled to stay conscious, but failed. He started to collapse to the ground from exhaustion, but Renamon managed to catch him.

"Rest, Flamedramon, you've been through a lot." She smiled as Flamedramon fell unconscious, his eyes shutting in peace. She looked around, blinking away the rain that fell into her eyes. Her fur was soaking wet.

"Thank god my cave is nearby, and that this is my territory." She muttered to herself as she lifted Flamedramon off the ground in her two paws. Then, bounding with incredible dexterity, Renamon leapt through the mud, and onto a cliff, where there was a large and warm cave. A fire was cackling inside, Renamon having lighted it just a short while ago, when she thought she saw some movement outside her cave and decided to investigate. Who would have thought she would meet her childhood friend again?

Stepping into the dry cave, Renamon carefully set Flamedramon down by the fire, brushing the water off his face as he lay there silently. His body was rather badly scarred, but Renamon guessed grimly, not as scarred as his soul. She gently peeled off the armor that he wore on his body and laid them down by his side to dry, and she got a view of Flamedramon without his armor for the first time. She immediately flushed and turned away. He certainly looked thinner, more graceful and gentler. There was something about him that made her blood stir. Then she heard a soft moan, and she turned around only to see Flamedramon turn his head about, seemingly in agony. His claws started to dig into the ground as he let out another moan. Renamon sighed and padded over to him, careful to avert her gaze as she settled down on the ground next to the dragon digimon, patting him absent-mindedly. Eventually his moans subsided, his movements ceased as he fell back into a deep sleep, emitting soft snores that made Renamon smile.

The night passed slowly as the rain continued to pour relentlessly, the fire burning strong from within the cave, Renamon lightly sleeping, still sitting up, next to the comatose Flamedramon…

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That's it for the first chapter. For the next chapter, all the information of their past will be revealed! 

**Also, credit goes to Comrade Terror for his original story idea. He gave the idea to me, and I used it with a few changes here and there. Thanks Comrade Terror!**

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	2. Broken Spirit

Chapter 2: Broken Spirit

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Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon, Toei Animation, Fox Kids, and Saban or Bandai owns them. I use their characters in my stories for readers' enjoyment.****

**This story is a Renamon/Flamedramon pairing. The events take place before Renamon decides to go to Earth to be Ruki's digimon and after the events of the D-Reaper in the later chapters.**

**And this is my first Digimon fanfic, so don't flame me if I make any mistakes. Reviews will be much appreciated.**

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Renamon woke up and immediately regained her senses within three seconds:a result of her training. She had to be prepared for any form of surprise attack another digimon might unleash on her. She took a look around the cave. The fire had long died out, leaving only a charred patch on the rocky ground. The weather outside the cave was sunny, the sky was clear and blue, and the trees stretched for miles beyond. Renamon stared outside for a few moments, thinking of what had happened just yesterday, when she met Flamedramon, an old friend she never thought she'd ever see again.

It had been a few years since they had parted ways due to their different views on life. Flamedramon strongly felt that life was given so that they could experience the wonders and funs of the world. Renamon, on the other hand, lived only for the purpose of facing a new challenge everyday; defeating every new opponent she came across. They had dueled quite a few times, all of which were started by Renamon's persuading. Most times Renamon came out the victor, since back then Flamedramon had notDigivolved, and was still a Veemon. The only time Veemon won was when he accidentally head-butted a tree and knocked it over, swiping Renamon into a nearby river by mistake. While Renamon spent all her time training and fighting, Veemon frolicked about and played with other digimon all day, never once getting into a serious battle. Except for one particular battle, which ultimately ended in Veemon evolving in Flamedramon.

Renamon looked over at Flamedramon. He hadn't switched his position all through the entire night, lying flat on his back, his face looking at the cave ceiling. Next to him was his armor, now dry and with patches of hardened mud all over it. Renamon walked over to him, getting a good look at his body. His body was muscle-toned, and Renamon concluded that he had done some training since they parted. Without the gauntlets, Flamedramon's arms hardly looked as dangerous and imposing. There were three long fingers, each tipped with a pearly white sharp claw. His face was almost a mirror of Veemon's, only far more mature looking. Renamon let out a small wince and bit her lip in guilt as her eyes came upon a tiny, almost fully healed scar just under his eye. She had given that to Veemon during one of the duels, when her patience had snapped after countless times of Veemon's taunting.

She could still remember Veemon's reaction after she had swiped her claws across his face. First, he had stared at her in shock, his eyes wide, and then suddenly blood spurted out of the long gash, the pain kicking in. He let a cry of pain as he clutched his face and stumbled backwards, away from Renamon, finally tripping on a rock and landing on the ground. He sat there, trying unsuccessfully to stop the bleeding, and attempting fruitlesslyto see through the red mist that pervaded his vision. Renamon, upon realizing what she had done, dashed over, and while apologizing profusely, helped Veemon stop the bleeding temporarily, before applying some medicine and a makeshift bandage. Veemon had told her not to worry about it, but she felt guilty all the same.

His smooth, azure blue scales sparkled in the sunrays that shone into the cave, illuminating his peach-colored belly. That was when Renamon suddenly remembered, and realized, that she was staring at a naked Flamedramon. Flamedramon had always been rather sensitive about his privacy. Her face went red, and she hurriedly turned away. She went over to the cave mouth, and stared outside, spotting a crystal-clear stream nearby. She began to leap towards it, in hopes of catching some fish to fill their stomachs.

~~~~~

It was a full hour later when she came back, her arms laden with two fish and a whole lot of fruits. The first thing she noted was that Flamedramon was awake, but the thing that surprised her was that he was simply sitting at the edge of the precipice outside the cave mouth, his armor not put on. The Flamedramon she knew would have been wandering about restlessly, wearing his full suit of armor. Instead, he was just sitting there, occasionally grabbing some rocks off the ground and tossing them in some random direction. His eyes were probably the most shocking: the once livid and happy crimson eyes were now dark and empty. The shock of being rejected and insulted by the one he loved, and then being ignored by his best friends had been too much for him to handle. Instead of trying to cope with it, he simply withdrew deep into his mind, hiding away from all the mortal pains of his life.

"Flamedramon?" Renamon called, realizing with a start that her voice was raspy. She had been far too taken aback by the sudden change in her friend. She went over, just as Flamedramon's ears perked up a little. He turned his head around to face her. He stared at her blankly for moment, seemingly not recognizing her, and then he suddenly remembered.

"Renamon…" He said, his voice deadpan. His mouth twisted into a tiny, sad smile as he struggled to his feet unsteadily. His muscles ached incredibly from the long distance he had run the day before. He stumbled once, and for a moment Renamon was afraid that he was going to fall off the edge, but he caught himself just in time, and began to limp towards Renamon. It took her a great effort to tear her gaze away from the sight before her. She went into the cave, and called for Flamedramon to follow. She settled down on the ground, started a new fire, and began to cook the fish. Flamedramon slowly came into the dark and cool interior of the cave, and was just about to reach the fire when his legs gave way below him, sending him crashing to the ground. Renamon barely managed to keep him from breaking his nose. After ensuring that Flamedramon wouldn't fall over again and burn himself, she returned to her original place by the fire.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it, Flamedramon?" She asked softly, staring into the fire.

"Yes… It has." Renamon couldn't tell how he was feeling. His voice was completely emotionless. "How has life treated you?"

"It's been the same as always." She responded simply. Flamedramon nodded.

"It was great for me… Everything was perfect… And then it was all destroyed. I was going to confess to Gatomon about my feelings… when… when… I saw her with one of my good friends… Later, everyone just seemed to… ignore me…" Flamedramon couldn't continue, and he turned his face towards the ground, his body trembling. Renamon was too stunned to make a comment. She knew Gatomon herself; she had personally disliked the other Digimon. Veemon had always had a crush on the both of them, but Gatomon appealed to him more because of her outgoing personality. Renamon had refused to admit it before, but she had always known deep down that she had been somewhat jealous that Veemon was going after Gatomon. Veemon, even after Digivolving to Flamedramon, had tried flirting with her openly, although he never really dared to admit his feelings for her. Renamon immediately began to flare up. Gatomon had known all along that Flamedramon liked her. She had the feeling that Gatomon had simply been toying with him.

"I guess… everyone hates me. I'm just a nobody…" Flamedramon muttered. That proved to be the last straw for Renamon. She had never liked weakness, and she especially disliked people who didn't respect themselves. And she had never expected that Flamedramon, of all Digimon, to degrade himself in such a way. It was unthinkable: that he, the Bearer of Courage, would act this way. That, and the fact that she was already feeling unhappy about Gatomon. She slapped Flamedramon across hisface sharply. Flamedramon raised a shaking hand to his face, and stared at Renamon, shocked, his eyes wide.

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself." Renamon growled. "Life has its moments, you just have to accept what has happened and move on. What happened to the Flamedramon I knew? The Flamedramon I knew wouldn't get so down. He would be cheerful and jumping around, not sitting around and feeling sorry for himself!" Flamedramon clenched his fists tightly, so tightly that his claws bit into his flesh, drawing blood. The red and sticky liquid dripped onto the ground slowly as he got to his feet, the pain in his legs forgotten.

"You don't know how I feel." He said in a voice trembling with anger.

"No, I don't, but I do know that you don't have any self-respect! It's pitiful." Flamedramon's eyes flashed with intense anger.

"I thought you would understand me in the least, but I guess I was wrong. All these years I've known you, I thought you were a kind Digimon, but now…" His voice was icy cold. He grabbed his armor off the ground and started towards the cave entrance. "Leave me alone." The statement came out as a snarl. He stood, poised at the edge of the precipice, about to jump off, when he turned around and gave Renamon one final, hard glare.

"The Flamedramon you knew is dead." With that, he vanished over the edge into the thick wilderness beyond. Renamon stood there blankly for a moment, at a loss of what to do, her mind still registering what had happened. Then she realized the harshness of her words and let out a small groan, reprimanding herself mentally. She made a solemn vow to keep her temper in check, and to stay cool and focused at all times. Having done that, she quickly set off in pursuit of Flamedramon.

~~~~~

The luxurious, tall trees provided excellent shade from the scorching afternoon sun as Flamedramon wandered through them aimlessly, his armor back on, although they hardly looked impressive beneath the layers of dried mud and scratches. His tail, once active and energetic, hung limply behind him, dragging on the ground as he trudged along.

Finally, Flamedramon came upon a clearing. He walked over to a large rock in the middle of it, and laid down on it, grateful to have an opportunity to warm his body and rest his aching legs. He removed his gauntlets and placed them on the ground next to him casually, not wanting them to get in his way. That done, he stretched, yawned, and lay there on the rock, staring at the sky, watching the clouds slowly hover past. His mind was a complete blank; he couldn't think, and he didn't trust himself to. He simply remained there, on the rock, motionless. His eyes suddenly trailed down to his chest plate, where the symbol of Courage was printed. His thinking became clearer, and he suddenly thought back to the time where he had Digivolved.****

~~~~~_Flashback_~~~~~

_Renamon had been training, as always, outside the cave where Veemon, herself and a few other Digimon lived. Veemon, on the other hand, was sleeping soundly inside. Renamon had tried unsuccessfully to awaken him, but not even cold water had worked. Amazed, Renamon left him to sleep and went outside to train._

_Finally, after hours of training, Renamon headed back into the cool interior of the cave, sweating profusely. She blinked a few times, trying to adjust her eyes to the darkness, and she barely made out a few small figures in the distance. She watched as they came closer and closer, soon revealing themselves to be Veemon, Koromon, Agumon and Gabumon, all giggling and laughing as they dashed down the path, Veemon in the lead. Renamon barely avoided them as they stampeded past, leaving a trail of dust in their wake. Muttering under her breath, Renamon went to her quiet corner in the cave and sat down to rest, her breathing heavy. The five of them, after having been born from their eggs, had traveled far and wide, until deciding upon the scenic cave as their home. Koromon was the most recent addition to their family; the other four had found him lying outside the cave, half-dead from exhaustion._

_Nearby were several neighboring caves, most of its occupants friendly Digimon. However, they had each marked their territorial space, and nobody violated the peace of the others' homes. Conflicts, unless affecting the general public, were left to each separate cave occupants to settle. That was why nobody came to rescue, even after Veemon and the others all let out shrill cries of surprise._

_Renamon had at first not heard the screams. The second time it rang out, she had dismissed it as her imagination. But by the third time, Renamon was positive that Veemon and the others were in danger. She had never heard that quivering note of fear in Veemon's tone before. Rushing outside, she followed their messy trail until she was led to a clearing, where she was greeted instantly by a roar, a scream, and a flying Gabumon. Gabumon smacked into her chest, and both fell to the ground. Letting out a groan as she shifted the unconscious Gabumon away, Renamon looked up and saw a Kuwagamon swiping at the other two._

_"Two?" Renamon mumbled to herself. She looked carefully. There was no mistake. There were only two digimon left: Veemon and Agumon. Koromon had either been swatted away, like Gabumon… or…_

_Without giving it further thought, Renamon rushed forward and unleashed a Diamond Storm attack, damaging the Champion Digimon slightly. The damage wasn't great, but it was enough to topple Kuwagamon over, and into the foliage of trees. Agumon slumped to the ground, panting. Veemon, on the other hand, fell to his knees, gripping the grass tightly with his paws. Renamon looked closely and saw that both his and Agumon's eyes were filled with tears. She took a step forward hesitantly._

_"Where's… Koromon…?" She asked quietly. Agumon raised his head and stared at her with bloodshot eyes._

_"Kuwagamon… he deleted Koromon… and… absorbed his data…" Agumon choked. Koromon had always been a little brother to all the other Digimon.He was the most hyper of the lot, never failing to cheer the others up when they were depressed. Renamon froze as she heard the news. Her mouth opened, trying to say something, but the words never came as Kuwagamon dashed out of nowhere and slammed into her with terrible force. She was flung to one side of the clearing. Without pausing, Kuwagamon raised a claw and smacked Agumon into a tree. Veemon stood up, growling, his eyes dilated. He attempted all available attacks on Kuwagamon, dealing considerable damage, but Kuwagamon was still far stronger. With a swipe, Veemon found himself lying facedown on the grass next to Renamon. He climbed to his feet again, and resumed his relentless attack, much to Renamon's surprise. She had never expected the little guy to have such an incredible willpower. And the way he was attacking… he was either really brave, or really stupid._

_Renamon joined the assault, as did Agumon. Gabumon, after recovering, joined shortly after. They appeared to be overpowering Kuwagamon when quite suddenly, a claw swung down from above out of nowhere, striking Veemon square on his head. Veemon let out a raspy cough as he doubled over, only to be given a heavy blow to the stomach, sending him skidding some distance away, trembling from the pain that had spread all over his body. Blood flowed from his mouth at a slow, but steady pace, and his eyes were glazed over. Renamon wouldn't have been surprised if he had broken some bones. With Veemon out of the way, Kuwagamon proceeded to bowl over Renamon and Agumon, and finally cornered Gabumon against a tree, a claw poised over the Rookie's chest._

_"Stop!" Renamon and Agumon both tried to go to their friend's rescue, but they were too far away. Only Veemon stood a chance, but he was too weak to move. Veemon managed to struggle to his feet, but he stumbled and was hardly in any condition to battle Kuwagamon. Nevertheless, he kept limping forward as quickly as his battered body allowed. Then, halfway, disaster struck. His body, not able to take the pressure, gave way. Blood spurted out of his mouth and he collapsed onto the grass. Kuwagamon sneered at him, and raised his claw, ready to strike Gabumon and delete him. Even then, Veemon refused to give up. Despite the overwhelming odds, he gathered his courage and energy, and grabbed a rock, throwing it as hard as he could into Kuwagamon's belly. It bounced right off, but it had served its purpose. Kuwagamon was angry and distracted from his main task of deleting Gabumon. He blindly slammed a claw into the ground, narrowly missing Veemon's head. Veemon didn't even flinch. Tears were streaming down his face._

_"If only I had the power to protect my friends… then Koromon wouldn't be…" Veemon's eyes flared open._

_'**If anyone can hear me, give me the power… the courage to protect my friends!**'His mind screamed. There was no response. Veemon's heart sank. Then, a dismembered voice rang in his head._

_"Courage…" It echoed in his mind. A pillar of light enveloped Veemon, healing all his wounds instantly. He got to his feet, and looked around, trying to see through the thick, pure white light. There was nothing. Nothing but white. Then he was faintly aware of something right above him. Looking up, he saw the Crest of Courage and the Digiegg of Courage, both hovering there. He shielded his eyes as both of them glowed brightly…_

_The pillar of light vanished. Veemon opened his eyes. The immediate thing he noted was that he was taller, far taller than before. Then he felt cold metal on various parts of his body, and that his body was more lithe and muscular than before. Veemon was at a loss. What Digimon had he become? Then the answer appeared in his mind, as though it had been waiting for the right moment._

**_Flamedramon, the Fire of Courage._**__

_With a deft kick, Flamedramon leapt high up into the air, higher than he could have ever attained as Veemon. With a roar, he plunged downwards and delivered a devastating kick across Kuwagamon's head, sending the large Digimon crashing to the ground with a horrible screech. Landing on one foot, Flamedramon instinctively kicked off the ground, raising a small cloud of dust, and began pounding on the bug Digimon, focusing all his anger and hatred in his attacks. But, just as he was about to finish Kuwagamon off, something in his mind told him to stop. And he did, stepping back, blinking and shaking his head. Seeing his opportunity, Kuwagamon took off, and escaped, its wounds telling the Digimonthat he wouldn't be coming back for a long, long time._

_Agumon quickly rushed over to tend to Gabumon, who was miraculously still alive. Plucking a few medicinal leaves from a tree nearby, he rubbed them over Gabumon's wounds. It stung, but Gabumon was glad that he was still alive and well. Renamon, in the meantime, had gone over to check on Flamedramon, who looked very stunned, and very lost. She still couldn't believe that Veemon had managed to Digivolve, but she was glad for him. Unknown to anyone of them, the one responsible for Flamedramon's Digivolution was Azulongmon._

_  "Vee… Flamedramon?" Renamon corrected herself halfway. It felt strange that just a short while ago, Veemon barely reached up to her waist. Now he was slightly taller than herself,and certainly far more muscular… Renamon caught herself as her mind wandered off. Mentally scolding herself, she took a closer peek at Flamedramon to see what was going on._

_Nothing. Flamedramon's face was a blank, as he stared at his claws, hardly able to believe what he was seeing._

_~~~~~_

_The weeks passed after that fateful incident, and Flamedramon had finally gotten used to his new form. Renamon was rather miffed, however, to discover that his mentality had not changed at all. She had expected him to mature, but it was apparently not the case. And every once in a while, the two would get into light arguments about whose views were correct. Renamon had always been pleased to note that she had never lost a single argument._

_But then, when Flamedramon suddenly left one morning, leaving her with a short letter etched into the sand outside the cave, stating that he wanted to explore the world and go after Gatomon, she couldn't help but miss him…_

_~~~~~End Flashback~~~~~_

Flamedramon felt considerably better after he had done some thinking and recollecting, although his heart still ached a little. And when he thought of how he had brushed Renamon aside, he felt rather guilty as well. With a small, exasperated moan, Flamedramon rolled over onto his side, berating himself, and cursing himself for being insensitive. He got up, and started to head back to Renamon's cave so he could apologize, but his legs gave way beneath him, and he collapsed with a small cry of surprise.

Flamedramon cursed vilely, probably for the first time in his life. He reached feebly for his gauntlets, and picked them up, but he didn't put them on. He didn't have time to. His sharp hearing picked up a shrill scream coming from somewhere to his left. He listened even more closely, heard the scream again, and his eyes widened as he identified it as Patamon's. And despite the fact that he bore a disliking towards Patamon for taking Gatomon away, Flamedramon decided that he simply couldn't sit around. With a hoarse cry, Flamedramon pushed all his thoughts aside, and began running in the direction of the scream, the adrenaline rushing through his body enabling him to temporarily forget the pain in his legs.

But… as his figure faded into the distance, his pair of gauntlets lay there, forgotten, against the sun-warmed rock…****

~~~~~

Patamon let out a shrill scream of pain as his foe smacked him into a tree. He started to slide to the ground, but his enemy ruthlessly slammed him into the thick trunk again. And again. And again. He was starting to have difficulty just keeping his data together as he was smacked about. After learning of Flamedramon's mysterious disappearance, Patamon had volunteered to go look for him. Gatomon, being stubborn and having a certain disliking for Flamedramon, refused to go.  Stingmon wanted to go along, but he was required to stay behind and protect the weaker Digimon.****

Then, just as he stepped into unfamiliar territory, he was ambushed by his foe. He hadn't gotten a good glimpse of his enemy yet, since the first thing his enemy did was to attack him from behind, and from there, continue on with a series of relentless attacks.

Just then, when Patamon was sure he was about to be deleted, a speeding blue blur rammed into his assailant and both of them tumbled away. Summoning the last ounce of his energy, he saw Flamedramon slowly getting to his feet unsteadily. And then, he slumped forward, and knew no more.

Flamedramon was shocked. Not because of Patamon's injuries, but more of because _who_ the assailant was. It was Kuwagamon, the same one he had fought many years ago. Flamedramon could still smell the same scent of death lingering around the Digimon. However, Kuwagamon appeared to be far stronger than before, presumably from absorbing data. It was already getting back on its feet. As Flamedramon hobbled about unsteadily on his shaky feet, trying to charge up an attack, he suddenly realized that the heat in his palm was unbearably hot. He dispersed the attack hurriedly, wondering what was wrong, and realized, his heart nearly stopping, that he had forgotten his gauntlets. Without his gauntlets, most of his primary attacks would be rendered useless.

Then, as Flamedramon heard an enormous roar, he realized that he had made a fatal mistake by standing there. He was a sitting duck. With a swipe that nearly broke Flamedramon's chest, the blue Digimon was flung back several feet. He expected the hard ground to meet him any second… but instead he smacked into something soft, warm and silky. Whatever it was he hit, it fell backwards, Flamedramon following after. Tilting his head slightly, Flamedramon's eyes widened as he saw just what he had landed on.

Right behind him, with Flamedramon lying on her chest, was a blushing Renamon.

"Uh… hi, Renamon. What brings you here?" Flamedramon laughed nervously.

**THWACK!**

The next thing Flamedramon knew, he was lying facedown in the dirt with a sharp pain at the back of his head.

"Oww." He groaned. Then he heard two dull thuds next to him, and he shifted his head so he could see what it was. To his surprise, his gauntlets lay there, shining brightly in what little sunlight that the canopy of trees allowed in. Someone had definitely polished them. Climbing to his feet, he picked up his gauntlets, gaping slightly, then turned to Renamon.

"Renamon…" He started, then fell into sheepish silence as he noticed Renamon, still blushing furiously, glare at him icily. Sighing, Flamedramon snapped on his gauntlets, then grinned as he tested out an attack and found that it worked perfectly. He was about to suggest doing a combination attack with Renamon, but found to his dismay that Renamon was already leaping about, throwing punches and kicks at Kuwagamon at a rapid pace. Flamedramon blinked.

_Whoa… she sure is a lot faster than she used to be._

"Diamond Storm!" Flamedramon was snapped out of his thoughts as he heard Renamon yelling out the name of her attack, then looked up… only to see many silvery projectiles flying around in random directions. Including the one he was in. Flamedramon threw himself to the ground with a yelp just before he was impaled. Renamon didn't seem to notice, and recovered almost instantly, resuming her attack. However, Kuwagamon didn't seem to be too badly damaged. In fact, after receiving a few more blows, he suddenly countered with a swipe of his left claw. Renamon barely managed to block it, noting to herself how strong his attack was, then realized something.

Kuwagamon's right claw…! I don't see… 

Renamon let out a cry as the right claw connected heavily with her back. She steadfastly refused to admit it, but the pain shooting through her body was intense. She fell limply to the ground as Kuwagamon released her. Renamon prepared herself as best as she could for the upcoming impact… but it never came. Opening her eyes, she saw that Flamedramon had caught her safely. She was about to comment sharply, then saw the look in his eyes. His eyes were dilated, and displayed anger as she had never seen before. Then she heard him let out a feral growl. Setting her carefully on the ground, Flamedramon tossed fire attack after fire attack at Kuwagamon, not even giving it the chance to counterattack. When he saw Renamon being struck, an uncontrollable rage washed over him, wiping clear all doubts immediately. When he slowed down a little, Kuwagamon was already burnt and smoking from the attacks, and looked very beat up. Flamedramon, his claws still smoking, immediately followed up with a kick from above that sent Kuwagamon crashing into the ground with such startling impact that even Renamon winced.

Flamedramon landed lightly on the ground, then his eyes returned to their normal state, and he stumbled forward, bringing his hand to his head with a soft moan. His entire body ached. Finally, his legs unable to take any more, Flamedramon slumped to the ground, and lost consciousness. Renamon was about to run over and check on him when she heard a rustling sound, and saw, much to her horror, that Kuwagamon was trying to get up.

How can anyone still stand up after taking a beating like that? 

Renamon was at a loss of what to do. She could still attack, but she knew that she couldn't overpower Kuwagamon, not in her current state. Not to mention that Flamedramon was in imminent danger. She started off in a mad dash towards Flamedramon, hoping to tackle him out of danger's way, but when she heard a blood-curling roar and earthshaking tremors, she knew that she was too late. She shut her eyes tightly, berating herself for not being able to do anything useful, when she heard a high-pitched yell, a thump, and a crashing sound. Skidding to a halt and staring, Renamon narrowed her eyes slightly in dislike as she recognized the small figure of Gatomon. Gatomon made little work of Kuwagamon since he was already severely weakened and then rushed to Patamon's side, leaving the data dispersed. Renamon helped Flamedramon up, and supported him as she walked over to Gatomon, loading the data along the way. As she approached, Gatomon's sharp hearing turned her attention to them. Turning around, her eyes widened, then narrowed dangerously as she got a glimpse of Flamedramon.

"What happened to him? Got beat up, I suppose, and Patamon probably got injured because he tried to help Flame… what-sis-name." She muttered in disgust. Renamon growled softly, but didn't say anything. She considered it beneath her to bicker with Gatomon. She simply watched in silence as Gatomon scooped Patamon up and carry him away, back towards their community. Before she disappeared into the trees, however, Gatomon turned around and spoke.

"Nice to see you again, Renamon, although I wish we could have met under better circumstances." Renamon didn't reply. "But tell this to Flamedramon: never, ever set foot near our community again. This wouldn't have happened if it weren't for him." With that, Gatomon whirled around and walked away. Renamon was about to say something, her patience lost, when Flamedramon suddenly placed his hand on her shoulder lightly. With a start, Renamon realized that Flamedramon had been awake all this time, and had heard everything Gatomon said. Renamon looked at Flamedramon worriedly, but he shook his head, whispering to her to let things be. But there was a dark, haunted look in his eyes. Grimacing, Renamon looked in the direction Gatomon went, hurled a rock, and allowed herself a thin smile of satisfaction as she heard an "Ow!". And then, turning around, she helped Flamedramon back to her cave.

~~~~~

Flamedramon set himself down on the cool cave floor, letting out a wince as pain shot through his legs when he bent them. Muttering and grumbling to himself, he sat down awkwardly, with both legs stretched out fully in order to minimize the pain. When he was down, he let out a sigh of relief. And behind him stood Renamon, watching in grim amusement. She strolled over and leaned against the wall, folding her arms.

"Are you going to just let her off with saying that?" She asked incredulously after a moment.

"I don't really mind… what she said is quite true, after all." Flamedramon said quietly.

"Yes, but that doesn't mind she can just waltz about and blame you for everything! Patamon_ didn't _hop in to save you, it was the other way around!" Renamon practically shoved her face in front of Flamedramon's, and jabbed him in the ribcage much to his discomfort. He fidgeted.

"I guess so… but Patamon did get injured because he was looking for me." Renamon snorted and restrained herself from giving Flamedramon a good blow to his head.

"That's his problem. He wandered into unknown territory _alone_. This sort of thing happens all the time." She muttered. She was about to say more when she picked up a strange sound. Turning around, she saw that Flamedramon had fallen fast asleep, snoring lightly, his arms folded across his lap. Renamon sighed, and looked outside the cave. It was nearing evening. Without wasting more time, she bounded out of the cave in search of food.

~~~~~

By the time Renamon had returned, night had already fallen, the stream of stars glittering brightly. She stood at the mouth of the cave for a moment, admiring the stars, and thenheaded inside, noting to herself that a warm fire was blazing, filling the cave with a welcoming warmth from the chilly air outside. However, Flamedramon was nowhere to be seen. Looking around, puzzled, Renamon strained her ears, trying to listen for any signs of him. Finally, after a few short moments, she heard a sound from behind her, and turning around, she saw Flamedramon curled up in a ball in a dark corner of the cave, snoozing. There was a quiet, subdued expression on his face, quite the opposite of what Renamon saw much earlier that day. Previously there was something… foreboding and dark about his expression… but now… it was simply… mildly sad. He appeared to have come to terms with himself. Smiling to herself, Renamon placed the fruits on the ground gently, and sat down by the fire, staring into it pensively, her mind slowly going through the events of the day. She picked up a berry and held it in her paws for a short moment. Then she popped it into her mouth with a degree of vehemence and swallowed it immediately. As her mind wandered to the thoughts of her being defeated by Kuwagamon, her hands unconsciously clasped together, leaving scratch marks on the dirt. Her claws bit into her palms so tightly that a tiny bit of blood trickled down.

"Why can't I ever seem to get stronger…?" She muttered to herself, not even noticing that Flamedramon had already woken up, and was behind her, listening. When she tightened her grip further, Flamedramon, who had taken his gauntlets off, placed a hand on her shoulder. She jumped, then turned around and looked.

"You're… awake." She muttered. "There's some food over there…" Renamon waved her arm distractedly in the general direction of the fruits. Flamedramon didn't move, although he lifted his hand off her shoulder.

"Something bothering you?" He asked softly.

"No." Renamon snapped, trying to act normal, but failing. Flamedramon simply stared at her, his face expressionless when Renamon turned to face him.

"Yes." She sighed. "I don't understand! I train everyday… but I seem to never get stronger… I hate to say it, but if G…Gatomon hadn't jumped in at the last moment, we would probably both be deleted now." She said Gatomon's name with a great reluctance and a great deal of venom. Flamedramon didn't say anything; he just sat down beside her and listened with the attentiveness of a child listening to his mother read his favorite story. Renamon twitched. There was something about his silence that set her off. Without even realizing what she was doing, she suddenly grabbed Flamedramon by his neck.

"Why do I even tell you this?" She cried in anguish. "You obviously don't care!" Then, as the enormity of what she was doing kicked in, she let out a startled gasp and dropped Flamedramon, who landed on his feet with a slight grimace as newfound pain shot through his body again.

"I-I'm sorry…" Renamon muttered apologetically. "I don't know what came over me."

Flamedramon still didn't say anything, but he reached over to the pile of fruits and pulled out a bunch of purple berries. He offered them to Renamon.

"Your favorite." He said quietly. Renamon was stunned. Not only had he remembered her favorite fruit after so long, he had also matured incredibly fast over such a short period of time. Renamon took the berries graciously, uttering a quick 'thanks'. Flamedramon stood back, rubbing his neck where a reddish mark was starting to form.

"I know how you feel." Renamon could feel the waves of emotion being suppressed in his tone. She looked at him, and saw him standing by the fire, his features contorted, highlighted by the flickering light from the flames. For a short moment, both of them were silent, and then Renamon spoke.

"We should rest. It's late." The moment she said that, a gust of wind blew into the cave, and effectively put out the fire, plunging them into inky black darkness. Renamon uttered a brief curse under her breath.

"Don't worry, I'll relight it." Flamedramon sat, kneeling down and feeling for the spot where the fire was. Upon sensing heat on his right, he lit a flame in his hand and relit the fire. Renamon went over and knelt next to him, helping him stoke the flames until they were burning tall. Flamedramon was so preoccupied that he didn't notice something, until Renamon tapped him on the shoulder.

"Flamedramon, your hand's burning." Flamedramon blinked, his eyes wandering over to the sight of his gauntlets neatly placed in a corner of the cave. Then, his brain registered the pain.

"GYAH!"

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Author's Notes: Yes, I'm well aware that I've been neglecting this story for a very, very long time, and I apologize for it. Shortly after I wrote the first chapter, I suddenly ran out of ideas, and I've been racking my brains since then.

I hope to be able to evolve this story into a saga, but currently I don't have enough ideas yet. The Beta-Readers and me are thinking of some right now, though. Hopefully we'll come up with something soon.__

**Acknowledgements: **

Comrade Terror – For Beta-Reading.

Rayamon – For Beta-Reading.

And no,  I do not have a chapter summary for Chapter 3 available. Sorry again.

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